NEW DELHI, Oct 25: High-level committee for social sciences, formed by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to revise the school curriculum, recommended replacing “India” with “Bharat” in textbooks for all classes. The panel’s suggestions also included introducing “classical history” in lieu of “ancient history” and incorporating the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) in the syllabus for all subjects.
The committee, chaired by C I Isaac, expressed a unanimous recommendation for using the term “Bharat” in textbooks across all classes. Additionally, they advised the inclusion of “classical history” in place of “ancient history.”
While the NCERT has not yet made a decision on the panel’s recommendations, Isaac mentioned that the committee also proposed highlighting “Hindu victories” in various battles in the textbooks, emphasizing that the present textbooks mention failures but not victories over the Mughals and sultans.
The revision of school textbooks is in alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The NCERT has established a 19-member National Syllabus and Teaching Learning Material Committee (NSTC) to finalize the curriculum, textbooks, and learning materials for these classes. The committee also recommended the introduction of the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) in the curriculum of all subjects.
It is worth noting that the Indian Constitution uses both “India” and “Bharat” in its text. Article 1, a foundational provision that establishes the Union of India, states, “India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States.” This article played a crucial role in determining the nation’s name. The draft of Article 1 was adopted on September 18, 1949, under the leadership of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the chairman of the Drafting Committee.
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